Examine the 12th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.  Explain the circumstances that led to this amendment. (Hint: 1796 and 1800 elections) What is the significance of this amendment?
	Click image to view complete 12th amendment.

Divide the class into the two parties of 1804, Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.  Using the information in the Candidate Biographies, have the students create the following for their party’s candidates:

•             Design a flyer or brochure

•             Write a TV advertisement (3 minutes) – to be presented to the class

•             Write a radio spot (90 seconds) – to be presented to the class

•             Write a newspaper article

•             Write a speech for a Candidate Rally (5 minutes)

Using the information in the Candidate Biographies, complete a chart like the one below.

Have students collect information (flyers, documents, newspaper articles, bumper stickers, campaign pens and other campaign materials) on the candidates for the November 2004 Presidential election.  Have students post their collection of materials on bulletin boards or walls – one area designated for the Democrats and another for the Republicans.

Visit the presidential candidates’ campaign headquarters or write letters to the headquarters and request campaign materials for the bulletin boards.

Using the information collected, have students complete the chart below on the 2004 candidates.  Remember to add the names of any presidential candidates who were running earlier in the year, but dropped out of the race.  

In many elections today “the image” of a candidate plays a crucial role in the campaign.  President John F. Kennedy, for example, came across as honest, sincere, caring, knowledgeable, good sense of humor, an experienced leader – a charismatic individual – on television and in the newspapers.  Projecting an “image” to the public wasn’t an issue for the candidates of 1804.  Have students look at the illustrations of the 1804 candidates in the Hall of Fame.  Assign students the role of political consultants to the candidates.  Their job as consultants is to offer advice to the candidates on improving their “image”. Use a chart like the one below.

Using photographs collected for the bulletin boards (or from watching the candidates on television), do the same for the 2004 Candidates.

Create a chart of all the Presidents with the following information:  Name, State, Age at time of Presidency, Ancestry, Religion, Education, Job before becoming President, Political Experience.  Use the charts below to get started.  Charts should be placed on a bulletin or wall for easy reference. Two Presidents are done for you.  Students should use reference books in the Library.  

Suggested websites to visit for information include: 

• The American Presidents website: http://www.americanpresidents.org (Click on Pick a President) 

• or the White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/index2.html

  Presidents of the United States, 1789 - 1901

Presidents of the United States, 1901-Present

Once the charts are completed have the students answer the following questions:

• Which President(s) has never held public office?
  

• Which President(s) has the most experience in public office?
  

• What are the advantages/disadvantages of having held a public office?